Spicy Eggplant and Green Bean Curry

When Erin was home at Christmas she made us a delicious curry from memory. She makes it often at home. It was a recipe published in Bon Apetit Fast Easy Fresh. She emailed the original recipe but I changed it considerably(as Erin does, depending on what's in her fridge).    The original recipe was not spicy as advertised; actually it was rather bland but a few additions made all the difference.  I also add a protein, onions, and sweet potatoes to make this a complete, flavor packed meal.  We both serve it over Jasmine rice, which is more aromatic than white rice.

The recipe looks complicated but it's really not.  The chopping goes pretty quick.  It works up fast once you start cooking. Chop all your ingredients and have them ready before you start.  The French call this miz en place, which means "putting in place".  It's most efficient.  I start the rice and when it's cooked the curry is ready to serve.

*An important note: Thai basil makes all the difference.  Buy it in an Asian grocery.

See my extra tips below the written recipe and if you make it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Spicy Eggplant, Green Bean, and Sweet Potato Curry

5 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons of grated ginger
1 boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-16 oz. eggplant, cut into 2 x 1/2 x 1/2-inch sticks
8 oz. of green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small sweet potato, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tablespoons of grated lime peel (1 lime)
Juice of one lime
2 teaspoons of Thai green curry paste
1 cup of canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons of Thai basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 4 Tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.  Do not let the garlic brown.  Remove the veggies to a bowl and saute the chicken until just browned (do not cook through). Add the onion mixture, along with the eggplant, potato, and green beans back into the skillet. Cook until almost tender, stirring often, (about 10 minutes).  Cover and cook for 3 minutes longer until beans are tender and the chicken is cooked through.  Transfer the skillet contents to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, lime peel, and curry paste to the skillet; stir 15 seconds.  Add the coconut milk; bring to a boil, whisking until its smooth.  Return the veggies and chicken to the skillet; toss with sauce to cover.

Mix in the Cilantro and milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Tips:
You can add or subtract vegetables to suit your taste and what you have in your fridge/pantry. We love the eggplant in this, but if you are not an eggplant fan just use a different veggie.

I also will steam the potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes to soften before adding them to the skillet. They take longer to cook.  I don't steam the beans because I like them a bit crisp.

You could use a combination of white potatoes, carrots, and beans.  Make this recipe your own.

 You can sub out the chicken for pork or shrimp.

This is mildly spicy.  Add more curry paste if you want it "hotter". or use red or yellow curry paste instead of green.
















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Pressure Cooker Beef Stroganoff and Some For Later

We don't eat a lot of red meat but it's fall and getting colder and the leaves are turning.  AND IT'S SUNDAY DINNER.  So I made Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles.  A little bit of an indulgence.

It's comfort food for a cold day.  And it couldn't be easier to make.

I love to cook a roast in chunks in my pressure cooker.  It takes just a portion of the time to cook and I don't have to watch the roast.  If it's hot out, the pressure cooker doesn't heat up my kitchen.

 Here's the link to the original post and recipe that I posted a while back. 

This roast came in a two pack, so after dinner I prepared the second roast for a later meal.
Here's the technique:

Remove all the fat you can from the roast and cut it into large chunks (see the photo above).  Salt and pepper it and put it in the pressure cooker.  Add 10 ounces of canned beef broth, two whole cloves of garlic, 1 sliced yellow onion and one dried bay leaf.
Bring to high pressure and cook for about 60 minutes.  I used a  very lean roast so I cooked it a bit longer than you might for a roast which has more fat.

I let the pressure fall on it's own, then removed the meat and the broth into separate bowls.  Strain the broth and discard the onions, bay leaf and whole garlic cloves.  They were invited to the party to flavor the meat and broth and are tasteless now.
Put the bowls into the refrigerator. As the fat cools it will harden (it takes a few hours).  Remove the fat floating on the top of the broth and discard.  You can see there was still a fair amount even after I trimmed my meat.

Who needs extra fat when the flavor is in the meat and the broth? 
Put the meat into sturdy freezer bags or containers and pour the defatted broth over the meat. Squeeze out the air if using plastic freezer bags.

I add a bit of water if needed to just cover the meat so it won't dry out and taste of "freezer burn".  Be sure to date the container so you use the meat in a timely manner.

Pop the packages into your freezer and you have meat for a quick meal.

Defrost it and use the meat for enchiladas, any type of casserole, even French Dip sandwiches.
My favorite way to use this beef and broth is to make soup with it.  Just add vegetables and simmer.
You'll have soup on the table in fifteen minutes and it tastes like you simmered it all day. Well worth the bit of effort to prepare the meat in advance! 
If I will be using the meat in the next day or so, I pour the broth over the meat just to cover and refrigerate it.

Panera Copycat Soup (Kale Cheddar)

I like Panera Bread, the chain restaurant, but there isn't one where I live so I've only eaten there while on vacation.  I do love their bread.  And while I've never tasted their Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Si of A Bountiful Kitchen, posted a copycat recipe on her blog and I was intrigued.  Si is a wonderful cook and everything I've ever made from her blog posts is delicious. You should go over and check out her site.

I can't eat broccoli, but I do eat kale and I had some in my refrigerator, along with most all of the other ingredients that I needed to make Si's copycat broccoli soup.  I wanted to use up my kale so I substituted it for the broccoli.  Have you ever cooked kale?  

Kale is a powerhouse of nutrients, a bit bitter, and it is a tough green so it takes a long cooking time to become tender. Thus, I changed the order in which the ingredients are added into the soup pot, and my soup also took a bit longer to cook. Kale stalks are so tough; I cut them out and I compost them for the garden.

 Have all of the ingredients chopped and ready to go.  The French call this mise en place.

Si suggested adding meat as an option and I just happened to have some leftover grilled chicken breasts with a mustard glaze in the fridge (this recipe was posted at the perfect time). As mustard was one of the ingredients called for, I halved Si's original amount of 1 teaspoon because of my mustard chicken.  There is such a thing as too much mustard in a recipe.  I also substituted Dijon mustard for plain yellow mustard as that's what I had on hand, and the Dijon was great in the soup.  In fact, everything about this soup was great! This recipes a keeper.  

Kale Cheddar Soup
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of chopped yellow onion
1 cup of chopped carrots
4 cups of chopped kale
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
2 drops of hot pepper sauce
4 cups of chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 teaspoon of prepared Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of cornstarch, whisked into 1/2 cup of cold water
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped largely (optional)

Melt the butter in a pot.  Add the onions and cook until translucent.  Add the kale and cook until the kale is tender.  This took about 15 minutes and I added 1/2 cup of water and a lid to the pot to let it steam.  

Remove the lid and cook until there is just a bit of liquid in the pot.  Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft.  Season the pot with salt, pepper, paprika, and the hot pepper sauce.  Pour the broth and 1/2 and 1/2 into the pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and the 1/2 cup of cold water together and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Add it to the pot with the other ingredients and stir.  Add the cheese and meat (if desired) and stir until the cheese is melted.  

Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.  (Sharp Cheddar is salty so be careful and judicious with your salt).

Serves 6 as a main course, 4 if you omit the meat.

Si's original recipe is over on her blog.  

Sloppy Joes...or the best comfort food for a crowd.

B's favorite sandwich is a Sloppy Joe that I have been making our whole married life.  It's one of the two few good recipes I brought into our marriage.  I am not kidding; I was a terrible cook.

This recipe has a family connection. When I was very young, our church had a "round-the-block" parade every July, the anniversary month of the date our pioneer ancestors migrated to our state.  The children dressed like pioneers and decorated their little red wagons like covered wagons.  Some of us festooned our bicycles with crepe paper streamers and put playing cards on our spokes and we walked and rode "around the block".  We were little after all and couldn't walk very far.  Neighbors came out to their yards to cheer and clap (they were nice to little kids).  Afterwards, we gathered on the church lawn and had lunch, which was always Sloppy Joes, homemade root beer, and popcorn balls.  There must have been other food items served but those were the my favorites. This recipe has been an extended family favorite ever since.  I posted a photo on the blog here, but didn't give you the recipe.  And you need the recipe...trust me.

Once a month I'm in charge of feeding several hundred young single adults after our Sunday services. B requested this meal.   It can be a challenge to make something good to eat for that large of a crowd.  We feed between 150 to 190 people each month.  I also try to make something that can be "stretched" into extra portions if necessary and this recipe is perfect for a crowd and can be portioned easily.
These Sloppy Joes were a hit at the Mingle.  We served second helpings and even quite a few thirds.

You'll see that this recipe has a version that feeds 80 people.  I told you it's original to the Parade.
For my family I make the small version but for the mingle I doubled the 80 serving version to feed 160 people.  You choose the size that's right for your gathering.  You can see what 160 servings looks like below.  The black soup pot is a 10 quart size.

As with many recipes, this one is best made ahead to give the flavors a chance to "meld".  It freezes well too.

Round-the-block Parade Sloppy Joes

For 16 buns:                                                                 

2 pounds ofground beef                                                             

2 medium onions                                         

1½ cups of ketchup                                                      

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar                                                          

½ teaspoon of curry powder                                                       

½ teaspoon of chili powder                                                         

2 bay leaves                                                          

1 cup of tomato juice

For 80 buns:

10 pounds of ground beef
10 medium onions

7 ½ cups of ketchup

5 teaspoons of granulated sugar

2 ½ teaspoons of curry powder

2 ½ teaspoons of chili powder

4 bay leaves

5 cups of tomato juice

Brown hamburger and drain grease.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy pan.

Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring and checking mixture occasionally to make sure that the pot doesn’t boil dry.

Serve on buns.

This freezes well.  It is actually better if made one day ahead and refrigerated and reheated.

We just returned from a week long road trip to San Francisco and Carmel, California. We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in the city that we frequented years ago when we lived in a nearby neighborhood.  It was as good as we remembered, after all it's been there for 30 years and in San Francisco that makes it a dinosaur.  Restaurants don't stay open that long in SF if they're not good.  But Italian food is rich and heavy so the next night in Carmel, we ordered lighter fare.

The fish restaurant was fantastic.  My dungenous crab salad was fresh and light and delicious, but the real winner was a spinach side dish served underneath the grilled Diver's scallops Bruce ordered.  

This is my recreation of the greens and it was every bit as good as the restaurants.  We ate it immediately; we did dish it into bowls but ate it at the stove.  We didn't even wait for the main course.

This will become a staple in our house.  I have a vegetarian friend coming to dinner next week and I wanted to do a trial run on the vegetarian version, so I omitted the bacon and used vegetable broth instead of chicken.  I didn't miss them one bit.  The fact that this dish is so healthy and and good for me is just the icing on the cake.  I think I'll be serving this over warm quinoa at some point.  It was filling enough for a meatless main course.

Sautéed Greens with Cannellini Beans and Bacon 

2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 slices of bacon cut into 1-inch chunks (optional)

1 cup of diced yellow onion

3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

¼ teaspoon of dried crushed red pepper

1 large bunch of greens (spinach, kale, mustard greens, or broccoli rabe, about 1     lb.), stems removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips;

          about 10 cups packed greens in total.

1 cup (or more as needed) vegetable or chicken broth

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans (white kidneys) rinsed slightly, and drained

1 cup of diced fresh tomato

1 teaspoon of Sherry wine vinegar, or more to taste

1 Tablespoon of soft butter or extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a non stick pan.  Add the bacon if using, and render the fat.  Reserve the crisp bacon pieces and set aside.

Add the onion to the fat and let it sweat over low heat until onions are translucent.  Add the garlic slices and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Do not brown the garlic or it will become bitter.

Add the greens by the handful, letting them wilt down before adding more, so you can get them all in the pan.  Toss them to coat with the oil.

Add some of the broth, cover and simmer until the greens are tender.  If using spinach along with other greens, add the toughest greens first.  Let them cook down a bit before adding the spinach, which will cook quickly.  Add more broth as necessary to the pan.  Cook 1 to 10 minutes, depending on the greens.  When greens are tender, add the beans and tomato.  Simmer until the tomatoes and beans are heated through and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to break up the beans while stirring.  Add the bacon lardoons back into the vegetables if using and stir in the vinegar.  Add more vinegar if desired.  Remove from heat and put the butter or oil (if using) into the pan and toss it to coat the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper as desired.

You can omit the bacon, and the oil or butter finish for a healthier dish.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Ina Garten's Salmon with Panko Crust

We love salmon at our house and I prepare it frequently.  We like it baked, broiled, in salmon cakes, and poached.

This recipe from Ina Garten was a hit tonight.  You can find her recipe by clicking on the link.   I really didn't follow it because it's so easy I thought I didn't have to pay close attention.

I zested a Meyer lemon (because that's the variety I had on hand), chopped some Italian flat leaf parsley, and tossed them together with Panko bread crumbs.  I just guessed on the proportions.

I salt and peppered my salmon fillets, brushed a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the fish and patted the crumb mixture on top of the mustard.

Sear the bottom of the fillets (skin side down) for 3 minutes in a pan on the stove top and then put the fillets in a 425 F. degree oven for another 3-5 minutes to finish cooking.  I would have liked the bread crumbs to brown a bit more. When I was posting the recipe here I realized that I forgot to add the olive oil to the crumb mixture.  No wonder it didn't brown much. I guess I really should have payed closer attention to the recipe  :)

The fillets were moist and delicious and the topping golden brown and crispy anyway.  No tartar sauce was needed and the mustard added just the right flavor...not "too mustary" at all.  I must admit I was a bit afraid the mustard would overpower the fish.

This recipe was easy and quick.  I served a red, white, and black quinoa mixture alongside the fish.  It was just as delicious as the salmon.

I'll be posting on the quinoa side dish next.  You'll want to try it I promise.

The Saga of the Secret Ingredient.

Once upon a time, our sweet elderly neighbor left some fudge on our porch.  She liked to surprise us with food gifts. Ever hopeful, the girls took a small bite.  You see, Julie was a bit eccentric and had a fascination for recipes with strange ingredients (think tomato soup cake).  What ensued was not a pretty sight.
Surprise (not really)...the fudge was unpalatable.  

I called Julie to thank her.  The gesture was lovely and so was her intent.

"Guess what I put in my fudge", said Julie.
"I can't imagine", said I.
"No really, guess the secret ingredient", she prodded.
Umm....."Marshmallow creme? Cocoa powder?"  "I just don't know", said I.

"VELVEETA CHEESE!", an exuberant Julie exclaimed.  "I knew you'd never guess".

Having related to you this true story, I am now telling you I add a secret ingredient to all of my chili recipes. You will be relieved to now it is not Velveeta Cheese.
Unlike the Velveeta Fudge incident, your quests will be clamoring for more of this dish.
Did you guess a Hershey kiss?

Just one will make your chili sing with flavor.  Pop it in the pot and let the sweet chocolate melt down into the pot.  Stir well to blend.

Unlike chocolate and Velveeta cheese, chocolate and chili are perfect companions. You'll also have a big bag of the chocolate left over to nosh on.  How bad can that be?

I like to top my chili bowl with a dollop of sour cream, some chopped scallions and a sprinkling of grated sharp cheddar cheese (when I don't forget to bring the cheese and scallions home from the Stone House).
You can garnish your bowl however you like.

I started with this recipe, then I decreased the chipotle chili powder by half.  We don't like our chili too smoky or to have too much "heat" from the chili.  I also left out the beer and I added yellow, orange and a green bell pepper for color.

Perfect for chilly Fall (or winter) evenings.   It's snowing again here.  I might have to dish up another serving for lunch...while wearing my wool socks and a large sweater.

As with most chili, this one gets better after a day's rest in the refrigerator.  I doubled the batch and stashed some in the freezer. 

Sunday Dinner-Herb crusted Pork Roast

Bruce brought home a Pork Loin Roast.  He loves pork.  Pork loin is "white meat" and it can be a little dry because it is so lean.  I don't like to eat the fat, so for that reason I like to brine my pork roasts. But I didn't have time to brine the roast to retain moisture, so I made sure not to overcook it.  Pork Roast can also be a bit boring so I went into the garden to forage and came up with this...

fresh herbs from the garden, a little garlic, a little olive oil, some compound butter, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and we had a spectacularly flavored pork roast. It had layers of complex flavor.  I sent "doggie bags" to daughters (via the one who came home) who weren't even at the meal.

It was decided that this is one of the best flavored pork roasts to ever grace our dining room table.  There was plenty left over for sandwiches.  Bruce declared his plan to make one for dinner with the pork and my homemade blackberry jalapeno jelly.  I wish I had thought of that!

I added a fresh garden veggie saute, some garlic roasted potatoes, and my homemade applesauce on the side. This roast was so good; it will be in my permanent rotation for Sunday dinners.

Check back for a post on freezing those summer herbs so you can make this recipe all winter.

Garden Herb-Crusted Pork Loin Roast

4 or 5 pound sirloin pork roast (may be trimmed of all fat)

1 teaspoon of butter (I used a compound butter made with basil, Parmesan cheese, and salt)

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

4 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme (I used Lemon Thyme), chopped

1 Tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary (if using fresh, use 1 teaspoon)

1 Tablespoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Trim excess fat from the roast.  (You may leave a small fat cap so the roast will not dry out in place of rubbing the roast with butter).  Wash and completely dry the roast.  Rub the butter (if using) onto the top of the roast.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper together.  Pat the entire roast with the herb mixture, put on a rack in a roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the roast set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

With the fat or butter side up, remove the plastic wrap and roast uncovered for 25 minutes at 475º F.  Turn the oven down to 400º F. and roast for about another 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer stuck into the middle of the roast reads 145-150º F.  Remove the roast from the oven and loosely cover with aluminum foil.  Let the roast rest for 20 minutes before slicing.  The roast will continue to cook as it rests.

Slice and serve.

Still Here...

I'm still here but life has been busy.

I have been preparing to teach a class at the Wool Cabin and life is moving along at a fast pace.  So fast that I haven't much time to write... or cook.

I did grill up this perfect piece of moist, sweet Halibut.  The summer squash with basil and garlic and fresh spring onions from the garden, along with the butter lettuce salad with feta crumbles and blueberries were the perfect meal for a summer evening.

No recipes because I just threw the fish on the grill, tossed the salad ingredients in a bowl and tossed it with some lime juice a bit of blueberry syrup, and some olive oil.

I can tell you it was scrumptious.

Hope your summer is moving along well...maybe just at a bit slower pace than mine.

Barbecued Brisket For Super Bowl Sunday

Super bowl food is all over blog land this week.  It should be easy to eat in front of the TV.
For the record, I don't much care for football.  I'm a wimp when it comes to sitting in the cold stadium and I get a bit bored watching on television.  But I like the hearty man-pleasing football food and I always enjoy the commercials.

 My favorite do-ahead meat would be perfect for those of you who do watch the game.  I love brisket and it can be prepared ahead of time as it cooks long and slow. Get up early, pop it in the oven, and then salivate as the aroma wafts out into the room.  For Super Bowl Sunday, break it up into smaller shreds (it should just fall apart.  I made a special effort to keep my slices intact) and serve it up on warm crusty rolls.

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman and it's a winner.  She calls it tangy tomato brisket.
You can find the recipe here.

Easy Oven Brisket.

 Mmmmmm.  Oven brisket with no fuss.  Pop it in a slow oven the day before you need it.  Slice it and store it in it's own juices in the refrigerator and rewarm before serving.  Instant main course.  Don't skimp on the brisket weight.  It will shrink A LOT during roasting.
Brisket make great leftovers.  I love hot sandwiches with grilled mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers on a warm ciabatta roll.  A little ooey- gooey provolone cheese doesn't hurt either.  It's a nice alternative to a holiday ham.

Beef Brisket

10 lbs. of beef brisket, all fat trimmed and removed
1 pkg. Lipton dried soup mix
      or one onion, chopped
1cup of beef broth
4 Tab. butter
1 pound of mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 275˚F.
Rub soup mix evenly over brisket or salt and pepper generously. Let set for 20 minutes.  Lay into a large Pyrex pan and pour broth  around the meat (not over it).  Cover with Cling Wrap.  Cover the pan with foil, covering the Cling wrap completely.  Alternatively, lay the brisket into a Dutch oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil and then the lid of the oven.

Roast for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove brisket and strain and reserve the juices in the pan. De-glaze the drippings with a little water if fond remains in the pan. Strain these and reserve.  Slice brisket across the grain into ½ inch slices with an electric knife. Lay slices in a 9” x 13” pan, overlapping if necessary. Pour juices over the meat (add a little more water if needed to cover) and cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil. Refrigerate 1 day ahead of time.

Before serving, preheat oven to 275˚ F. Put pan in oven, with both coverings on. Make sure that the foil totally covers the plastic wrap. YES, you can put plastic wrap in the oven as long as it is covered with the foil. Re-heat for 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until the mushrooms are tender. Set aside. Remove the meat from the pan. Arrange on a warm serving platter. Cover and keep warm.

Ladle broth from the pan and add to the mushrooms. Season with cracked pepper to taste. Thicken with cornstarch if desired. Pour some sauce over meat on the platter. Garnish with the chives.

Put the remaining sauce in a gravy boat to pass at the table.

Chicken Tarragon Salad

The perfect late summer salad.  It's hearty and sweet and just right for entertaining or a lunch with family.   One of my favorite salads of all time.

Tarragon Chicken Salad with Apples and Grapes

6 cups of shredded cooked chicken
3 ribs of celery, diagonally sliced
1 cup of red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 ½ cups of Tarragon Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
3 Tablespoons of chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, celery, grapes, apple, mayonnaise and parsley in a large bowl and stir to mix. Seasonwith salt and pepper.
Arrange on a platter and garnish with parsley and celery leaves if desired.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.

This salad keeps well for several days. Add the apples and grapes just before serving.

Tarragon Mayonnaise
1 cup of good quality mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons of Tarragon Vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup of tarragon packed in vinegar
     or ¼ cup or dried tarragon soaked in the 3 Tablespoons of vinegar
     or ¾ cup of fresh tarragon leaves chopped finely
1 shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice and tarragon leaves in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until well blended.

Add the shallot and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use or up to 1 week.

This is also good on sandwiches or sliced tomatoes.

My Father is a fisherman and often gifts us with beautiful fresh fish, which he has cleaned, filleted and skinned.  These were beautiful freshwater lake trout and lake Bass.

They are delicate fish and thus require a delicate cooking method.

My favorite way to prepare these fish in the hot summer months is to grill them outside.  There is no smell leftover in the kitchen and no mess to clean up afterward.   This is really more of a baking method than a grilling method.  I still get a crunchy, buttery crust without frying and without extra calories.

Technique:

First prepare the foil.  I use two layers of aluminum foil and fold the corners up to make a disposable pan.  You could use a real pan a very long time to warm the pan, so I find the foil works best.  Spray the foil with misted oil or any kitchen spray.

• Wash the fish and pat them dry.  
• Place one large egg in a small bowl and whisk it well. 
• Place some white flour in a bowl. 
•  Very lightly season some Pahnko (Japanese shredded) bread crumbs with just salt and pepper. That's all I add because I don't want to overpower the flavor of the delicate fish.
• Dip the fish in the white flour and shake off the excess. 
• Dip the floured fillets into the egg wash, again shaking off excess. 
• Lay them in the bread crumbs and coat well.  Shake off the excess crumbs.
• Lay the fillets on the prepared foil.  Place a few pea-sized pieces of unsalted butter on top of the fillets to help brown and crisp the crust.  Then  place the foil/pan on your grill. 

Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat or until the fish is just cooked through. 
• The time will definitely vary depending on the thickness of your fish.  Don't over cook them.

I like to serve the fillets with scallion brown butter. It imparts a nut-like flavor.

• Melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small skillet.  Add some chopped scallions, onion, or shallots.  Cook until the scallions are browned and the butter is browned but not burned.  I like my butter dark, just before the burn point.  The darker the butter the more flavor.  Watch the butter carefully!  Now is not the time to answer the phone.

Drizzle the browned onion butter over the fillets just before serving.  This butter is not burned even though it looks very dark.  You can cook the butter less if you like.  Serve with lemon wedges.

This cooking technique works well for any variety of fish fillet.  Just vary the cooking time depending upon the thickness of your fish.

Moroccan Chicken

I am a fan of Mediteranean cuisine.  And while there is a wonderful restaurant down the street from us, the prices are steep and getting a table is just about impossible on a weekend.

I love America's Test Kitchen, mostly for the great explanations of how food science works.  This is one the their current recipes and it is a winner.  Not only is it much more economical than eating out, but most of the ingredients are already in my pantry, including the spices.  They've adapted a tagine recipe to make it user friendly.   Except for adding an extra carrot, I followed the recipe exactly.

This was a big hit at dinner and it was even better after a day in the refrigerator.
Next month it's our turn to host the extended family dinner for about 35 people.  This will be the main course.

Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Lemon (Chicken Tagine)


America's Test Kitchen
From the episode: A Moroccan Feast

Serves 4

Bone-in chicken parts can be substituted for the whole chicken. For best results, use four chicken thighs and two chicken breasts, each breast split in half; the dark meat contributes valuable flavor to the broth and should not be omitted. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart bitter flavor. If the olives are particularly salty, give them a rinse. Serve with couscous (see related recipe).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3strips lemon zest (each about 2 inches by 3/4 inch)
• 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice , from 1 to 2 lemons
• 5medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks; wings reserved for another use) and trimmed of excess fat
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion , halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups)
• 1 3/4cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1tablespoon honey
• 2 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
• 1cup Greek cracked green olives , pitted and halved
• 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Combine spices in small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip lemon zest; combine with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and mince together until reduced to fine paste; set aside.

• 2. Season both sides of chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large heavy--bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

• 3. Add onion and 2 remaining lemon zest strips to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned at edges but still retain shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if pan gets too dark). Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in broth and honey, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add thighs and drumsticks, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.

• 4. Add carrots and breast pieces (with any accumulated juices) to pot, arranging breast pieces in single layer on top of carrots. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.

• 5. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl and tent with foil. Add olives to pot; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly and carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add garlic-zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice; stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• TO MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through step 4, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm until the chicken is heated through, then proceed with the recipe from step 5.

TECHNIQUE

• RAISING THE BRAISE

When braising chicken parts, it can be hard to keep the white meat from turning dry and stringy. We solved this problem by layering the dark meat, the carrots, then the white meat. The propped-up white meat sits above the braising liquid and cooks at a gentler pace.

What can you do with just 3 ears of fresh corn?  Make the best side dish/accompaniment to grilled meat.  The salad would be delicious with pork or chicken as well. This would be the perfect meal for a July 4th celebration because it's fast, can be prepared well ahead of grilling time and can be stretched to serve a lot of people.

The recipe comes from a Gourmet issue printed 12 years ago.  It had a blue ribbon next to it, meaning that it is one of their highest rated recipes.  Did it live up to the hype? 

YES!!! IT DID. 

B. loved it too.  This is one recipe that I will be making again and again.  I had most of the ingredients on hand.  It's great cold or reheated.  The perfect summertime recipe.

Oh, and the steak was good too.

Roasted Corn Salsa with Grilled Sirloin Steak

3 cups of fresh corn (sliced off the about 3ears)

4 scallions, white and green parts sliced and separated

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

½ teaspoon of black pepper

2 plum tomatoes, finely diced

1 to 2 fresh jalapeńo chiles, finely diced

1 (2-lb.) trimmed boneless sirloin steak, about 1 ½ inches thick

¼ cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Corn Salsa:

Heat a dry large cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot, then pan-roast the corn kernels, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the corn to a bowl.

Cook the white part of the scallions and the garlic in butter, along with ½ teaspoon of the chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper in the same skillet over moderate heat, until the scallions are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add to the corn. Add the tomatoes and jalapeńo and stir well.

Grill the steak:

Combine the remaining salt, cumin, chili powder and the black pepper and sprinkle on both sides of the steak. Let them set for a few minutes. Grill, turning once until the steak is done to your desired temperature.

Tranfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest covered loosely for 10 minutes before slicing.

While steak is resting, reheat the corn mixture, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro and scallion greens. Spoon corn salsa over the top of the sliced steak, pouring any reserved meat juices over all.

Serve with lime wedges.

Salmon with Orange-Ginger Sauce

Asian Salmon...the perfect meal for a early spring supper.  Add some blanched snow peas and a yellow tomato quinoa salad and supper's on the table.

Salmon with Ginger-Orange Sauce

4 salmon or halibut fillets

¼ cup of fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons minced flat leaf parsley or cilantro

1 teaspooon minced fresh ginger root
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes


Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Put in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce reduces slightly. Set aside.


Grill the fillets to desired doneness. Pour the sauce over the top and serve.



Leftover Roast Chicken?

That roast chicken from last week...gone in a flash. The portion that wasn't eaten was sent home with the daughters for a quick after-class meal. The only "leftovers" was the carcass.

I used it to make soup and it just might have been better than the original roast chicken meal.

No recipe because you don't need one.  Forage in the refrigerator and pantry and go to town!  Here's what I did:

Put the refrigerated chicken carcass in a pot and covered it with cold water.  I scrubbed a carrot (no need to peel) and a stick of celery and chopped them into large chunks; washed an onion and put half of it into the pot, skin and all.  The skin gives your broth a beautiful golden color.  You'll be discarding these veggies, not eating them.  They're for flavor only.  Add a small handful of whole black peppercorns and let the carcass mixture simmer for 1 hour, straining off the foam as it develops. 

 I don't add salt at this point.  Remove the carcass to a plate, strain the stock, discard all of the solids and rinse out your pot.  Pick the chicken meat from the carcass, put it back into the pot, and throw that poor naked carcass out.  It's finished; gone; done; it's "given it's all" and worked every last bit of magic it has in it.  Skim off some of the fat from the stock and put it back into the pot with the chicken meat.

Now go back to the refrigerator and get another couple of carrots and some celery (I used just one rib).

Wash, peel, and chop them into bite-size pieces.  Put them back into the pot along with a 1/2 cup of long cooking barley (if you use short cooking barley, add it near the end or it will be mush).  Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes or until the barley is tender.  I had some Napa cabbage and some fresh baby spinach so I chopped them and added them to the pot.  Taste the broth and add salt and freshly ground pepper as desired. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes more to wilt the spinach and cabbage. 

SOUP HEAVEN!  Simple, clean flavors; the stock was the star but the veggies were tender and sweet and the barley added substance.  I could have eaten bowls of this soup but one bowl was all I needed.

Now that's what I call "Leftovers".



Perfect Roast Chicken

We love chicken at our house.  Roasted chicken that is perfectly seasoned, perfectly moist, perfectly crispy and perfectly delicious.  Most of all...it is perfectly easy to prepare.

Perfect Roast Chicken

1- 4 to 5 pound roasting chicken, trussed

1 head of garlic, top sliced off

1 lemon, halved

3 Tablespoons of softened butter

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your impeccably clean oven to 425 degrees F.  (You want a clean oven.  Any particles in your oven will smoke at this high temperature).

Wash the chicken and remove and discard any giblets or necks from the cavities.  Dry the chicken well with a paper towel.

Salt and Pepper the cavities and and stuff the lemon halves and the garlic head into the largest cavity.

Rub the outside of the chicken with the softened butter.  Salt and pepper the outside well.  Much of the seasoning will run off when the butter melts so you want to use the seasoning quite liberally.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan.  You could put a layer of onions, carrots, and celery down in the pan under the chicken to provide a bed for it.  You will not want to eat the vegetables after.  (I do not put a bed down as I don't think it adds all that much flavor).

Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours, baste frequently with the pan juices.  Check the thigh temperature with a thermometer.  Poultry should be cooked to about 170 degrees F. for safety.  Remove the chicken from the oven and tent it loosely with foil while it rests and redistributes the interior juices into the meat before slicing.

Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.  It will continue to cook a bit as it rests so don't overcook it in the oven.

Slice and serve.

This is great left-over and it's a quick week night dinner.

Miss Congeniality

This shredded pork is not the most photogenic entry at the pageant, but it's more like Miss Congeniality, and everyone loves it. It's versatile and easy to work with, and although it's a bit "plain-Jane", you can dress it up with some guacamole or a bit of pico de gallo or some sauce and it takes on a new life.

So... let's talk pulled pork; some of the "best you've ever smacked-a-lip-over", to quote a friend of mine from Texas.  It's spicy, sweet, and just plain good.  Not fancy but versatile.  Serve it in tortillas with taco fixins', on a bun, or just mound it on a plate with some sides.  This recipe calls for with soda (I used Dr. Pepper) and chipotle adobo sauce.  If you don't like it spicy (and it has a bit of heat), cut the chipotle sauce in half.

Here's the ugly part of the post (Ok, the color's pretty, but that's where it ends my friends).  This lump of fat went straight into the garbage bag.

Yuccckkkkkkk!!!!!!!!

This is the greasy fat (after chilling) that was rendered out of the pork shoulder (sometimes called pork butt, a less-appetizing name, for sure).  I shudder to think of all that pork fat headed for my arteries (I prefer to fill mine with butter, given the choice), so to control that large amount of saturated fat, I like to roast the meat, shred it, and pour the liquid into a bowl.  Let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, then peel back the congealed fat and discard it, leaving the jelled broth in the bowl.  Next, melt the broth and add it back to the shredded meat.

The meat will soak the broth in, taking back moisture and flavor.

This freezes well and some of this shredded pork will be going into freezer bags for a quick meal at a later date.  Now that's what I consider pretty!

Spicy Pulled Pork

7-8 pound pork shoulder roast (sometimes called pork butt)

24 ounces of Dr. Pepper (you can use Coke)

14-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used half a can)

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

Pre-heat the oven to 300º F.

Scatter the onion pieces in the bottom of a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over your pork roast. Set the pork on top of the onion and pour the chipotle sauce over the pork.  Pour the Dr. Pepper around the roast and cover the meat with a lid.

Roast the meat for 5-6 hours, turning the roast four times, intermittently.  When the meat shreds easily and falls apart, it's done. Remove the pork to a platter. Pour the broth into a heat-proof bowl and let cool slightly, then cover and put it in the fridge for several hours to let the fat harden.

In the meantime, shred the pork roast with your fingers or using two forks. Discard any fat left on the roast. Put the shredded meat into a bowl and refrigerate.

When the fat has congealed, remove it and heat the jelled broth. Pour it back over the shredded meat.

Reheat the shredded pork and serve with tortillas, or on buns.